Meet Tracey Bockhop, CMP, owner of Meet Meetings
Tracey Bockhop was born and raised on a small farm near Madison, WI, with her two sisters. While she currently serves on the MPI Wisconsin Chapter Board of Directors as the VP of Finance, you can find her traveling with family and friends, enjoying outdoor activities, or taking in a good concert in her spare time.
Tracey was previously interviewed for How Did You Get Here in the Midwest Meetings Spring 2013 issue, when she was fairly new to the industry working as the meeting planner for the Preventative Cardiovascular Nurses Association, Madison, WI. Now, six years later, we find her planning meetings and events for Meet Meetings, the company she owns.
Midwest Meetings: What was your first experience with the meetings/events industry?
Tracey Bockhop: I started my career as the Admin at a Marriott Hotel and loved everything about it. Looking back though, I was always the one to offer my time to plan the parties or wanting to be more involved in the activities we held at our high school.
MM: Tell us about your job.
TB: I own a consulting company, Meet Meetings, with that I have around 15 meetings per year. I truly love what I do and that allows me to be very active in suggesting new ideas and implementing better ways to engage our attendees. I do everything from finding new business, working the registration table, and working those long nights of cleaning up.
Tracey was previously interviewed for How Did You Get Here in the Midwest Meetings Spring 2013 issue, when she was fairly new to the industry working as the meeting planner for the Preventative Cardiovascular Nurses Association, Madison, WI. Now, six years later, we find her planning meetings and events for Meet Meetings, the company she owns.
Midwest Meetings: What was your first experience with the meetings/events industry?
Tracey Bockhop: I started my career as the Admin at a Marriott Hotel and loved everything about it. Looking back though, I was always the one to offer my time to plan the parties or wanting to be more involved in the activities we held at our high school.
MM: Tell us about your job.
TB: I own a consulting company, Meet Meetings, with that I have around 15 meetings per year. I truly love what I do and that allows me to be very active in suggesting new ideas and implementing better ways to engage our attendees. I do everything from finding new business, working the registration table, and working those long nights of cleaning up.
MM: Do you work alone at Meet Meetings? What are the challenges of owning your own business?
TB: I am currently the only person with Meet Meetings. I have had many challenges owning my own company, but I am almost five years in and the challenges are getting less and less. When starting out I really did not have that ‘one person’ I could go to with questions and I did not know what I didn’t know, so to come up with answers for others was difficult. I have learned to outsource the things which take up my time and do not help my clients, such as accounting and administrative items. I truly believe I am at the best part of my career, currently, and cannot wait for the continued success.
MM: Do you hire temp workers? Do you have any tips for other planners?
TB: I do hire onsite staff and employ people close to me to help prepare name badges, work registration, and other items pre and post conferences. By employ I mean I take them out to dinner for a drink. I have a very strong support team and encourage all planners to work on maintaining the relationships with ones close to them. As a planner this line of work can be very stressful and time consuming but always remember what matters to you in your life and never lose touch with that.
MM: What do you like most about the industry?
TB: There are many things I like about the industry, but what means the most to me is the relationships I have formed because of the industry. So many people I call friends are because our paths crossed at an event. There is a sense of family within the industry and I know there are so many people I can count on and learn from every day.
MM: What is your approach to planning meetings and large expos?
TB: My best approach is to take it in and piece it together, nothing gets planned all at once, and, if you can take things off the to-do list every day, it’s a good day.
MM: To what do you attribute your success?
TB: My success has come from hard work and many long hours. Growing up on a farm and having two hard working parents really instilled a strong work ethic and a can-do attitude. With their support I was able to start my own company and watch it grow; not over night, but with time and effort put forth. I also do not like failing so that helps as well.
TB: I am currently the only person with Meet Meetings. I have had many challenges owning my own company, but I am almost five years in and the challenges are getting less and less. When starting out I really did not have that ‘one person’ I could go to with questions and I did not know what I didn’t know, so to come up with answers for others was difficult. I have learned to outsource the things which take up my time and do not help my clients, such as accounting and administrative items. I truly believe I am at the best part of my career, currently, and cannot wait for the continued success.
MM: Do you hire temp workers? Do you have any tips for other planners?
TB: I do hire onsite staff and employ people close to me to help prepare name badges, work registration, and other items pre and post conferences. By employ I mean I take them out to dinner for a drink. I have a very strong support team and encourage all planners to work on maintaining the relationships with ones close to them. As a planner this line of work can be very stressful and time consuming but always remember what matters to you in your life and never lose touch with that.
MM: What do you like most about the industry?
TB: There are many things I like about the industry, but what means the most to me is the relationships I have formed because of the industry. So many people I call friends are because our paths crossed at an event. There is a sense of family within the industry and I know there are so many people I can count on and learn from every day.
MM: What is your approach to planning meetings and large expos?
TB: My best approach is to take it in and piece it together, nothing gets planned all at once, and, if you can take things off the to-do list every day, it’s a good day.
MM: To what do you attribute your success?
TB: My success has come from hard work and many long hours. Growing up on a farm and having two hard working parents really instilled a strong work ethic and a can-do attitude. With their support I was able to start my own company and watch it grow; not over night, but with time and effort put forth. I also do not like failing so that helps as well.
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MM: What challenges do you feel meeting and event planners face today and what is your approach to those challenges?
TB: I think the biggest challenge we face now is keeping up with everything and not having our attendees be too distracted with it all. We have things coming at us from all angles. We present new information to our groups in ways they feel did not waste their time, this is an important measure to a meeting’s success. I always take a step back with my clients and ask them; Why are we having this meeting? We need to go back to the basics and fill in the fun once we have the whys down. You must be able to dedicate your time and energy to learning more creative ways for ideas to be presented and create that experience they cannot get everywhere. MM: Do you have a specific planner challenge you have overcome? TB: This past summer I experienced the biggest onsite challenge I have ever faced as a planner. We were holding a meeting and had the worst flooding experience ever to take place in the area. We had two overflow properties that were displaced and no rooms in the area to put attendees in. After many long hours, and great teamwork, we were able to make sure everyone was safe and in a dry place. Days after we were still going back to the hotel properties looking for missing items and making sure everyone had a replacement vehicle for the ones which were lost. MM: How do you keep up on industry trends? TB: I am very active in MPI and try to read many trade magazines and discuss wins and fails with other planners. It is important for me to keep the connections within the industry in order to learn what has worked and hasn’t at an actual event. MM: What is the best advice you have ever received/given? TB: To always remember you cannot please everyone. I still do not live by this every day, but I try hard to remember it. No matter how much time and sweat you put into something, someone unfortunately will not be happy. That is on them not you. MM: What event menu sticks out to you as a stellar experience? TB: Risotto in a parmesan bowl has been the best reception item I have ever seen. I am from Wisconsin! (cheese!) |
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